| Confederate States of America |
| War Department |
| Engineer Bureau |
| Richmond, Va., Jany 31st 1863 |
| |
| Capt. L. P. Grant |
| Eng. Corps P. A. C. S. |
| Atlanta, Georgia |
| |
| Captain, |
| You can procure from Capt. George Arnold
of the Nitre & Mining Corps, stationed at Augusta, Geo. the following
tols to be employed on the salt works in Alabama, 8 Doz.
spades and shovels (part of each) 5 doz. axes, 5 doz. picks. It will be
best for you to procure the required supply of mattocks by purchase. It
is impossible o send them promptly from his point to you unless
accompanied by a special messenger, and the very limited number called
for would hardly warrant such an arrangement. |
| Enclosed I send an order of Maj. St. John,
Supt. of Nitre & Mining Bureau, directing Capt. Arnold to turn over such
tools as can be spared without detriment to the service. |
| Col. Northrop, Commissary General, desires
us to communicate to you Professor Thomassy's desire that the
evaporating basins should be completed and filled as early as
practicable in order that they should be thoroughly saturated, I
suppose, to prevent loss by filtration. |
| Very respectfully yours, |
| A. L. Rives |
| Maj. & Asst. to Chf Engr. |
|